Trump gives first speech to Congress tonight as administration grapples with Russia-Ukraine relations

As Trump traveled to visit natural disaster areas in North Carolina and California shortly after his inauguration, his team was concerned about a possible political disaster back in Washington. To defuse it would require a type of political dexterity he hadn’t always displayed during his first term.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., had raised concerns about defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who had communicated them to the White House. Hegseth couldn’t afford to lose Tillis’ vote, and Trump and his political team knew it.

Walking into an Air Force One cabin filled with members of North Carolina’s GOP congressional delegation, Trump mused, “I hear your man Thom might not be with us,” according to a person who heard the remark. Trump then openly speculated, “Maybe someone will primary him. … Do we have any takers?”

The threat wrapped in a joke was never deployed publicly. Instead, Trump took a different tack. Before the comment, his political team had set up meetings for Tillis with Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance. The behind-the-scenes pressure campaign then culminated with a meeting between Trump and Tillis the day of Hegseth’s confirmation vote.

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Elon Musk will attend Trump’s joint address, a White House official told NBC News. Musk has spearheaded DOGE’s efforts, despite not being the acting administrator. 

Congressional Democrats are bringing guests who they hope will highlight the effects of the DOGE cuts. A spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the senator asked his caucus to bring guests who “have suffered under the Trump administration’s policies.” Schumer’s office announced yesterday that two of his guests include fired federal workers.

Trump, in a joint address to Congress tonight, is expected to lay out his efforts to rapidly slash the size of the federal government in ways critics warn overstep his authority and threaten lasting damage.

The speech comes as Trump is making a sharp break from the previous administration, both on the international and domestic fronts. On Friday, Trump and Vice President JD Vance had a heated confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, rocking international relations and prompting concerns from critics that the White House is moving away from a democratic ally and hewing closer to Russia, an authoritarian adversary.

Today’s speech — Trump’s first address to Congress of his second term — gives him the opportunity to further justify the shake-ups, both at home and abroad, to lawmakers and the public, and to preview what’s coming next.

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HONG KONG — China and Canada moved swiftly today to retaliate against newly imposed U.S. tariffs, announcing their own levies on U.S. goods that could further disrupt the United States’ trade with its top three trading partners.

A 25% U.S. tariff on almost all goods imported from Canada and Mexico took effect just after midnight, along with an additional 10% tariff on goods from China. The three countries together accounted for more than 40% of total U.S. imports last year and are also the top three U.S. export markets.

China will impose additional tariffs of up to 15% on some U.S. goods, its government said, while Canada vowed tariffs of up to 25%. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is expected to announce her response at a news conference in Mexico City on Tuesday morning, the country’s economy ministry said.

The new Chinese levies, which take effect March 10, include a 15% tariff on chicken, wheat, corn and cotton and a 10% tariff on sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, fruits, vegetables, and dairy and fish products. Chinese state media had reported earlier that U.S. agricultural products would be targeted.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will host five guests for Trump’s joint address to Congress tonight: two who were fired from the federal government, two who are Medicaid recipients and one who relies on funding for medical treatment.

The guests, according to his office, are:

Emma Larson, a 12-year-old from Long Island who received lifesaving treatment after she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy as a baby from a lab that receives tens of millions in indirect reimbursements from the National Institutes of Health. Alissa Ellman, a disabled Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and was fired from her job at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Buffalo last week. She was diagnosed in 2018 with a rare cancer linked to exposure to toxic burn pits during her military service.Tiffany Ramos, who worked for the Agriculture Department in Syracuse helping farms and rural businesses secure financial support, and was recently fired amid DOGE cuts. Ana Medina Garcia, a Medicaid recipient and home health care worker who mostly takes care of other Medicaid beneficiaries. Jessica Martinez, a cancer survivor who has multiple sclerosis and is a Medicaid recipient, funding she depends on to live independently and care for her family.

Trump is scheduled to head to the Capitol tonight to deliver his joint address to Congress.

The speech is scheduled to begin at 9:10 p.m. ET, and the White House has him leaving the Capitol at 11:20 p.m.

He does not have other items on his public schedule for the day, according to the White House.